Encouraging Leadership over Management: It’s about doing the right thing, right?

Today’s fast moving, highly competitive marketplace is placing unprecedented pressure on organisations and individuals to develop and change. From taking advantage of technology innovations to capitalising on the opening up of global markets, protecting ourselves from economic uncertainties to understanding the expectations of our customers and workers; the need for strong leadership has never been greater. Why? Because everything rises and falls on leadership.

And leadership is not about position or job title. Leadership is about the person. Strong leaders give hope and confidence. They provide the optimism that leads to success and achievement, an optimism that can so easily be affected by uncertainty and change. Leadership is a skill that can be learnt and developed.

In this webinar Simon Jackson will share his experience and insight that has been gained over many years working with leading global brands on transformation initiatives that have focused on leadership development and change programmes. We will explore the essential elements of leadership and how our behavior so significantly affects those around us. We will look at the inner game of leadership to understand how our own thinking may be holding us back.

If you are an experienced leader, how do you know how you are doing? Whether you are an experienced leader or you are aspiring to lead others, we all have the ability to grow and become better leaders.

Prof.John Domingue Director, Knowledge Media Institute, The Open University

Since its inception the Open University has used the latest technology to bring Higher Education to everyone who wishes to study. During development its initial name was ‘the University of the Air’ due to the prevalence of radio at the time.

Following our innovation thread we have over the past year or so been conducting a number of experiments in deploying blockchains in OU courses.

In this talk I will cover how we have been using blockchains to manage micro-accreditation (including badging), ePortfolios and peer accreditation in a variety of settings. I will also outline our initiatives to setup national and international blockchain networks and how blockchains could herald the emergence of Uber-style universities.

The title smart contracts is used to refer to a number of arrangements in which relationships are governed by a pre-determined digitalised arrangement, so that coded instructions execute on the occurrence of an event.

These often use Blockchain or distributed ledger technology to record and execute transactions. In their purest sense, the code – once agreed – becomes self-executing and self-governing and thus (it is argued) replaces the need for a wider contract or checks and balances.

Whilst their common name is arguably a misnomer (they are not necessarily contracts in the traditional legal sense), their implementation can enable transparency in supply chains and the reduction of frictional and intermediary costs.

This panel will examine how the concepts of smart contracts, utilising blockchain technology, can co-exist with existing legal concepts to include a review of:

· The distinction between traditional legal prose/code and programming code.

· Application of traditional principles (to include the three f-words: frustration, fraud and force majeure)

Regulation has been considered an obstacle when it comes to the adoption of blockchain technology. But many have taken on the challenge and have actively started to take blockchain and DLT as both a challenge and an opportunity.

Join this panel where we will discuss:

-ICOs, Self regulation of ICO, status of tokens in an ICO
-How blockchain will affect existing market regulations
-Which new regulations can we expect to respond to the ecosystem that blockchain has created?
-How would the governance structure be determined?
-How can the obstacle of a cross-border environment be tackled?

Much has been written about the power and scope of Smart Ledgers and Mutual Distributed Ledgers (MDLs, aka blockchains). Amidst the rush to find new applications for this versatile, ‘trustless’ technology, people overlook the challenge of governing Smart Ledger networks. Governance provides the mechanisms required to balance accountability of the governing body and its duty of meeting the specific objectives of the organisation.

Effective governance of Smart Ledgers should answer four critical questions - How are rules created for the ledger and who oversees their application? What happens in the case of dispute? Who is allowed to change the software application and the data? How are security, risk and performance managed and reported?

One approach is to embed these questions in existing legal structures, another to try to remain outside, but a third is to explore the appropriate role of arbitration, mediation, and expert determination, as far as possible avoiding enmeshing novel identity, document, and agreement exchanges within traditional legal structures.

In this webinar, Professor Michael Mainelli will share research from the Mattereum initiative as well as Long Finance research sponsored by the Cardano Foundation. He will conclude that, while there is nothing new under the sun, Smart Ledgers may need to shift the balance of power from law, to code, to human wisdom.

Listen to expert panellists discuss:
1. How did we get here? Security, authentication and digital identity of today.
2. What are some issues currently facing this industry?
3. How are blockchain solutions being applied?
4. What could the future of blockchain have in store?

David Siegel, Blockchain, decentralization and business agility expert

Still confused about this whole Blockchain thing? Interested in investing in digital currencies, but not sure where to start? Want to get a better idea of the threats and opportunities?

David Siegel is a Blockchain, decentralization and business agility expert who has been a high-level management & strategy consultant to companies like Sony, Hewlett Packard, Amazon, NASA, Intel, and many start-ups. David has been praised for being able to explain Blockchain in the most simple and interesting way.

What you will learn:
-What is Bitcoin?
-What is the blockchain?
-What is Ethereum? What is Ether?
-What is a distributed application?
-What is a smart contract?
-What is a triple ledger?
-What about identity and security?
-What business models are at risk?
-What are the opportunities?
-What should we do?

Are we going to see digital central bank currencies in the future? Who will be the next country to introduce its own digital currency?

All these and more will be tackled by our panel, so get your questions ready.

Agenda points will include:

-Is there going to be a Bitcoin crash?
-What are some of the adoption issues for digital currencies?
-The sustainability of blockchain and cryptocurrencies for making and processing payments
-Assessment of risks
-Introducing cryptocurrencies in the mobile world

Digital transformation is increasingly becoming a major strategic issue for banks. They increasingly understand that digital is not just another distribution channel but a major change in their business models, functioning, cultures themselves with major impacts and demanding change programs across the whole business and value chains.

We will assess how these transformations are taking place, how do they impact the financial services sector, how the implementation of technologies such as blockchain are accelerating the transformation, where are the convergence and in particular how best startups and incumbents can work together.

Digital transformation is a promise that many have been skeptical of. Join this panel where industry experts will tackle all the tough questions and provide new and thought-provoking insights.

Among others, they will discuss:

-Can the banks switch to making money from enabling customers’ healthy financial behaviour, rather than from continuing to exploit ongoing financial self-harm?

-Traditional banking is on the verge of major disruption, so digital transformation had better deliver *actual* transformation. Tinkering is expensively pointless

-Continuing to exploit inertia-driven customer behaviour – and thus coining excess profits - will be seriously challenged by Open Banking

Panelists:
Moderator: Dr. Louise Beaumont, Head of Open Bank at Publicis.Sapient
Aleksi Grym, Head of Digitalisation at Bank of Finland
Bharat Bhushan, Industry Technical Leader, Banking and Financial Markets at IBM

Is it too late for incumbent banks to try and still win at the Relationship game, wow the consumer with addictive experience and become beloved brands? If we believe only new players will be able to do the above and many banks will become pipes - do they have a back-up business plan in place for that alternative?

Attend this panel debate where the speakers will discuss all this and more:

- What will banking look like in a post-PSD2 Europe and once Open banking models start to emerge? When will that be?
- Is banking culture one of the inhibitors of change and what can we do to change that?
- Define what "Invisible Banking" means to you and the consumer
- What role will Platforms play in this new world over the next few years?

Banking is changing! The emergence of digital technologies and fintech are supporting changes in the way consumers use these products/services, particularly millennials.

These new style banking services are becoming much more than simply a way to look at one's bank account, or to pay. They are becoming truly financial cockpits and watchtowers that consumers can use for a wide range of usages whenever, wherever whether it is to manage better their finance, pay and order on mobile commerce, transfer money between them, etc.

We will discuss the way they are transforming personal finance, how consumers change their usage patterns, what are the impacts, how startups innovate, how incumbents and new players are interacting, where are the truly disruptive services, etc.

On August 1, news of a bitcoin "hard fork" broke the cryptocurrency world. Traders were flung into uncertainty and many started wondering about the new Bitcoin Cash and what it means for the market.

Should you invest in Bitcoin Cash? Why fork Bitcoin rather than just using a pre-existing cryptocurrency? Will there be more drastic price changes in the different cryptocurrencies? Will the value of bitcoin be diluted? What comes next?

Join this session where an expert panel of bitcoin investors, engineers and entrepreneurs will discuss what you need to know about the bitcoin fork, the current situation of the market, the impacts of the hard fork, and their predictions for the future.

They will also take audience questions live so make sure to tune in and have your questions ready.

In an increasingly digitalised world, the value of information grows ever higher. Winning organisations – whether in financial services or any other vertical sector – will be those who can harness the power of data analytics to develop microscopic levels of insight and foresight into customer behaviours and operational activities in order to make progressive improvements on a continuous basis. Product development informed by factual evidence rather than educated guesswork, or real-time risk management based on a hyper-accurate picture of exposures, bring significant internal and external benefits.

However, while banks want to get closer to their customers, is the feeling mutual? Data privacy is a very sensitive issue, and the perception of what constitutes intrusion will likely vary between individuals. Institutions, therefore, need to walk a fine line between what’s genuinely useful and what’s genuinely creepy.

During this webinar, a panel of respected subject matter experts will discuss and dissect the key issues related to the widespread use of data analytics in financial services, identifying the obstacles which need to be overcome and the enablers that will drive FS forward successfully.

Financial Services companies rely on personal data for both their retail and business customers. Legislation and regulation, such as AMLD4, PSD2 and GDPR; both control and mandate its use.

How can FS companies manage and use the data effectively? Join this panel where we'll discuss the many new regulations coming up and what you should be doing as early as now to prepare your organisation and optimise your processes.

The first half of 2017 has provided a lot of surprises, politically and economically, from the French and UK elections, activity in the Gulf, the direction of the US economy and the evolution of fiscal and monetary policy.

Some were more predictable than others but what is becoming clear looking to Q3 and Q4 is the significant inflection points so far, and the contrast this will cause between the first and second half of the year.

So join Eric Parnell, CFA and Founder & Director of Gerring Capital Partners as he provides a perspective on H1 2017 and an outlook for H2. Attend live and discover:

- A variety of inflection points in both economics and policy in H1 2017
- Why we are arriving at these inflection points and how these transitions are likely to impact stock, bond and commodities markets.
- The reasons for and outcomes of the drastic contrast between H1 and H2 2017, including a expected increase in market volatility and uncertainty.

A smart portfolio can mean the difference between a comfortable life and a constant struggle. Most people make poor, emotionally based investment decisions with many biases. Even investing professionals who studied Modern Portfolio Theory did not help their clients in the Global Financial Crisis.

In fact, when I ask professional investment advisors if they would hire themselves if they had $100 million in the bank, they all say of course not. Most pundits, from celebrity investment gurus to leading academics, have simply been wrong about markets and their predictability.

We are entering a new era of machine trading, where the average person has no chance to systematically outperform the markets. Learn about post-modern portfolio theory with David Siegel and start building a smart portfolio today.

You can attend the webinars at no cost and will be able to submit real-time questions to presenters during the live online events. If you are unable to attend a webinar live, you can also view it afterward on demand.